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Client 6.2.229 turns off on its own


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I know that the solution from EMC is to downgrade below 6.2.229. Just wanted to chime in I'm experiencing the same syndrome to:

 

2 G5 XServes running Tiger

at least 2 Leopard/Intel clients.

 

The backup server is running on Windows and is Vers 7.6x.

 

Of course, please reply back when you have fixed this issue, EMC. Thanks!

 

P.S. Also, you might want to take down the "upgrade" link on 6.2.229 until this issue goes away.

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  • 5 weeks later...

I had a similar problem some time back (before I gave up on the new client) and discovered that if I ran the client from a shell it printed "Alarm clock" to the shell before quitting. It might be interesting to see if this is the case for others having similar problems. I never did determine where that message came from.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Since I started this thread, I should probably provide an update. To resolve the problem I had with the 6.2.229 client turning itself off, I uninstalled it and re-installed the 6.1.130 client. Note that these operations were performed directly on the target PowerBook--i.e., I did not perform the update remotely via the Retrospect server. The server is still the latest 6.1.230 version.

 

At first, I thought the problem was resolved. However, over the past month and a half, I've noticed that the 6.1.130 client still turns itself off, but much less frequently than the 6.2.229 client. Instead of turning itself off within an hour or so, it is now only every few days, maybe about once per week. A key point is that this problem was never seen before in many years of running the same PowerBook.

 

There is some correlation with events like putting the PowerBook to sleep, or going on the road with it so that network settings change. However, I can't find any clear correlation. In other words, sometimes the client turns itself off after putting the PowerBook to sleep or going on the road, and sometimes it does not. Furthermore, I've observed the client turn itself off even when the PowerBook has remained on constantly at my normal desk location. Ditto for restarting the PowerBook--sometimes it cause the client to turn off, and sometimes it doesn't.

 

I don't know what to conclude from this, but it does seem to indicate that there might be some relationship to the new Retrospect server, as this is the only thing that has changed. Again, I never saw this problem until I performed the latest Retrospect server and client upgrades. Thank goodness that I only updated the client on one PowerBook, since the other clients remain stable.

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I've observed the client turn itself off...

 

Just to be clear on the nomenclature here, the issue is that pitond (for the older client) or retrorun (in the current client) is crashing.

 

The fact that the status of these unix programs can be discerned via the window of the Retrospect Client application's "on" and "off" radio buttons should not confuse the underlying event.

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I assume you are correct in your statement that the client application process is crashing. I have not seen this in the logs, but then I haven't gone looking. I'm reporting the observable state from the GUI. I could also imagine that some other state change is taking place that causes the client to be turned off.

 

To be honest, I've always found Retrospect to be one of the most painful applications to debug problems with. I've lost most of my patience with it. I just try to minimize problems, and I'll agree that, when left alone, it usually works fine. However, I can't ever remember an upgrade that's gone smoothly, so I tend to be extra cautious. In this case, I'm glad I did approach things slowly.

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  • 3 weeks later...

After updating two clients to the latest Retrospect version 6.1230, I've had constant trouble with remotes turning themselves off. Each client has about 40 computers and I'd say about 10 of them randomly turn off.

 

Downgraded the client to the previous version, both by uninstalling/reinstalling and others by the update process. Doesn't matter... they still turn off.

 

Perhaps it is the 6.1230 application doing the turn off? I've noticed on another client that runs Retrospect on a PC with the latest version, Mac retro clients never turn themselves off. And, some of those computers are running the newest retro client.

 

I'm going to try downgrading the App to 6.1.138 and see what happens.

 

What a pain in the neck this is!!

 

tzm

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So, for what it's worth -- I've now seen this.

 

(I had a need to change the password for my clients on my mac load set...)

 

I uninstalled 6.2.229 (which was there on the set after numerous *upgrade* installs of previous clients -- going way back -- none were "push" upgrades, though -- all were always done by installing the client at the machine directly.)

 

Then reinstalled 6.2.229 on one client. There was an initial backup of the client started, then I believe they shut down during the backup (this was around 5:00 p.m.)

 

In the morning when they rebooted, the client had been turned "off".

 

So, is the short-term solution to uninstall 6.2.229, install the 6.1 client, *then* update to 6.2.229?

 

Or just skip 6.2.229 entirely (which, I need, actually, for the ability to force an IP address on some powerbooks that jump between wireless and wired networking...)

 

Please let me know what you'd suggest here...

Edited by Guest
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when they rebooted, the client had been turned "off".

 

Not having any problems myself with the current client build, I don't know how the issue that EMC is resolving manifests itself in all cases. But _failure_ to load on startup sounds different then crashing (AKA "turning off") after startup.

 

- If you reboot again, is the client still not loading?

- What is displayed in the "Status" text field of the Retrospect Client application?

- Did you move the Retrospect Client application after you installed from the installer?

 

 

Dave

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Reboot -- client is loading.

 

Status is "ready"

 

Program was not moved from Applications.

 

I had set up this users computer by 4:30 p.m. Added her to the backup server about 4:55. Backup started at that point, but she shut down the machine at 5:00 when she left (during the backup)

 

When I came in the next morning, her computer was running, but the backup client was off. I turned it "on" and the backup server kicked in soon after that to complete the backup.

 

Maybe the client gets messed up if it shuts down/disconnects *during* a backup or something?

Edited by Guest
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  • 1 month later...

There's a new version kicking around, 6.2.234 released on 10/31/08. If you can get your client machines to stay "on" long enough so that you can push the update from your server, it might work. I worked for me on some clients.

There were others where it the client wouldn't stay "on" at all. For those I had to uninstall, restart, install, forget, and redo all that client's info on the server.

 

I do however get an occasional 100% cpu stuck on with the new client now though.

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  • 7 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Rather than start a new thread, I'll *bump* this one... I continue to have problems with the 6.3.019 client, installed on PPC G5 iMacs running Mac OS 10.4.11. I find that it has reverted to "off" fairly frequently, although I cannot yet point to any consistent circumstance that might seem to be a cause. It can also occur on Intel iMacs running OS 10.5.7, though not as frequently.

 

I have not done extensive troubleshooting yet; just been making do by going around and turning clients back on as necessary. But this exact issue was one of the main reasons we decided to upgrade to version 8, as I saw that it was a well-attested phenomenon in 6 and there were at least hints that all would be well in 8.

 

Of course, 8 has its own mother-lode of hiccups and I've been trying to ride all those out. But the fact that I'm still using a 6 client seems to tell me that nothing substantial has yet been done, and I'm wondering whether anything ever will! Is client stability being looked into? Will a new client version be forthcoming?

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Howdy,

 

Read below, this seems to have resolved this issue for my client, running solid for at least a week with daily backups running OK now.

 

 

I specifically called Retrospect Technical support and was told:

 

This issue appears to be resolved by doing the following:

first, use the same version as is currently installed's installer program itself, to un-install. then, use the newest / latest version, downloadable with the 8.x version of Retrospect downloader. I was told there was a disk image within, for the client, but found there was an 'installer' for the client, close enough for me. There is also a client download only, much smaller, and seems to me, to be same client version, but I did use the 8.x software download , client installer that came with it.

 

This was then installed onto one user that has had this on-going issue with client turning off, and since then, backups seem to have been running fine so far, not sure if the issue is really resolved, but it does seem to be so far.

 

I was also told by Retrospect Technical support, that although they could never reproduce this issue in house, so it's apparently difficult to identify the bug, and confirm that it's been fixed, however, they did say that they have customers that have suffered with this issue, report that this new client version no longer suffers from that issue.

 

My own experience does seem to confirm this, so far, for the new 6.3.019 client seems to no longer shut itself off.

 

This is what I did:

Retrospect Technical support indicated that this issue is reported to be resolved with the new 6.3.x client. He further indicated that this issue has been reported by others, and when they followed the below procedure for un installing the older client version, and then found that using the new 6.3 version, they reported the issue was resolved.

 

which is included within the Retrospect 8.1.150 installer (as a separate DMG for 6.3 Mac client installer included within).

** note: as it turns out, it's not a disk image within the 8.x installer, but rather a folder, with an installer, but that's fine with me, just trying to clarify and be accurate).

 

I asked regarding best procedure to do so, and he indicated that the 6.1.x client, should first be un-installed with the same version of the 6.1.x client un-installer that is on the 6.1.x client installer disk image.

 

Confirmed client is 6.1.130

located the client installer/un-installer for 6.1.130

ran the un-installer

rebooted (just for good luck)

 

Down loaded both the new Retrospect 8.1.150 package, which includes the latest 6.3.x client as per Retrospect technical supports instructions

ran the installer from the 6.3.019 client

rebooted again (just for extra good luck)

 

manually setup new client to be seen by the server (as the server couldn't see the new client/version/install at first), and no further issues since.

 

Cheers,

 

 

Daniel Feldman

=======================

MacMind

Certified Member of the

Apple Consultants Network

Apple Certified (ACHDS)

E-mail: Dan@MacMind.net

Phone: 1-408-454-6649

URL : www.MacMind.net

=======================

 

 

 

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I understand that the 6.3.019 client is *supposed* to resolve things, but I'm reporting that it does not. A given client will operate properly for several days, maybe even weeks, but then end up being turned "off" mysteriously. Most recently, I turned a client back on, ran a backup, then the next day, following a reboot of the client machine, that client was turned off again. That's a case where the reboot can be pointed out as a possible factor, but in other cases the machine in question is not rebooted at all.

 

It might be true that 6.3.019 is a definite improvement over older clients. But it's not the rock solid software that it ought to be.

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I understand that the 6.3.019 client is *supposed* to resolve things, but I'm reporting that it does not. A given client will operate properly for several days, maybe even weeks, but then end up being turned "off" mysteriously. Most recently, I turned a client back on, ran a backup, then the next day, following a reboot of the client machine, that client was turned off again. That's a case where the reboot can be pointed out as a possible factor, but in other cases the machine in question is not rebooted at all.

 

Let's take some of this information a bit at at time:

 

A given client will operate properly for several days, maybe even weeks, but then end up being turned "off" mysteriously

 

- Please describe this observed state more completely. What text is displayed in the "Status" field of the Retrospect Client application window?

 

following a reboot of the client machine, that client was turned off again.

 

- First the same question as above needs to be answered.

- Second, if you reboot the machine, does the "retroclient" process start? If not, then you have an installation issue (the most common of which is moving the Retrospect Client application to a different location after installation).

- If the "retroclient" process does start at reboot, at what point/time does it crash? Are there any logs at /Library/Logs/CrashReporter/?

 

"Turned off" is a specific state of the Retrospect OS X Client software, so it's critical to know if your report uses that term literally, or if you are using it as a more general observation (while omitting the more specific observations that might help readers to know the actual state of your setup).

 

Dave

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Howdy,

 

Did you first run the uninstaller of the previous version? Did you also do other things like repair disk permissions, verify the disk directory is OK, other basic things to make sure the foundation is all OK?

 

Perhaps the un-install, with the previous versions installer actually performing the uninstall, might do the trick.

 

Cheers,

 

Daniel Feldman

=======================

MacMind

Certified Member of the

Apple Consultants Network

Apple Certified (ACHDS)

E-mail: Dan@MacMind.net

Phone: 1-408-454-6649

URL : www.MacMind.net

=======================

 

 

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